Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Real Madrid beat Sevilla 4-1 on Sunday, closing the gap on LaLiga leaders Barcelona to six points ahead of next weekend’s El Clásico.
Real climbed to third place with 21 points after recording their third straight win in all competitions since the international break. They sit one point behind Atletico Madrid, while Sevilla remain sixth with 14 points.
Mbappe, Guler inspire Real Madrid
Despite the absence of suspended Vinicius Jr, Real produced an impressive attacking display at the Santiago Bernabeu. Arda Guler led their best moves and opened the scoring after a quiet start.
The Turkish midfielder collected Yan Diomande’s pass before firing into the top corner. His goal came minutes after Sevilla appealed for a red card over an incident involving Guler and Peque Fernandez.
Mbappe doubled Real’s lead in the 37th minute. The French forward turned brilliantly to break through the defence before calmly beating goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
Sevilla tried to fight back after the break. However, Fede Valverde produced a crucial block to deny Felix Correia just before the hour mark.
Real then extended their lead through Mbappe. Diomande exploited the space behind Sevilla’s defence and sent the forward through on goal. Andres Castrin brought him down, and Mbappe converted the resulting penalty to make it 3-0.
Diomande seals emphatic victory
Substitute Manu Bueno reduced Sevilla’s deficit in the 80th minute. He finished calmly after Mbappe lost possession deep inside his own half.
Diomande restored Real’s three-goal advantage two minutes later. The forward capped his impressive performance with a powerful strike to complete the scoring.
The match also marked Eder Militao’s return from injury. He received a warm ovation when he came on in the 85th minute. It was his first appearance since undergoing hamstring surgery in April.
Real Madrid turn attention to Barcelona
The victory gives Jose Mourinho’s side a timely boost before their crucial meeting with Barcelona next Sunday.
Real will hope to maintain their winning run and reduce the gap at the top when the fierce rivals meet. Their performance against Sevilla also offered encouragement ahead of the highly anticipated clash.
Elsewhere, Osasuna beat Racing Santander 2-0 in Jagoba Arrasate’s first game back as manager. Celta Vigo defeated Alaves 2-1, while Real Sociedad recorded a 5-2 away victory over Malaga.
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